Or, are the strange numbers even a problem? I mention them because they don't agree with anything output by ifconfig on the laptop and I don't know where they come from. However, using dig or ifcopnfig on the tower outputs the simple ip number for the tower.

These random numbers are actually IP addresses too. You can do a whois query on them and the first (66.152.109.23) gives that it's part of the Tech Valley Communications IP range. I suspect this to be the DNS addresses of your ISP?

Hi, and thanks for the info. I did whois on the other two strange IP numbers. I got responses for Highwinds Network Group, Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona and for Rackspace Hosting in San Antonio, Texas. And from yours I got Tech Valley Communications of no address.

This is getting spooky!

My ISP is Century Tel, Inc. I don't know anything at all about Tech Valley, Highwinds Network Group, or Rackspace Hosting. I keep wondering how they got into my computer.

I didn't know about whois; are there other commands which will tell me more about these people? Alternatively, I wonder if there's some way to block those IP numbers and see what happens?

Well, if they're not related to your ISP, you could do without them I suppose. Question is, where do these entries come from? They must be mentioned in a config file of some sort, so use the locate command (and the IP address as your search string) to find which file. Rename the suspect file, to see if anything breaks. If it does, edit it so the IP address is taken out and rename the file back, if everything continues as planned, remove it completely, preferably with the application that installed it.

[root@tower-host-mepis dave]# grep -r "69.16.143.23" /etc/*grep: /etc/alternatives/irc.protocol: No such file or directorygrep: /etc/alternatives/lvm-default: No such file or directory[root@tower-host-mepis dave]#[root@tower-host-mepis dave]#

Of the ones I tried, they were either no such file or encrypted. But I've discovered my router has a 'Parental Control' feature, so I'm going to try blocking those numbers and see if anything breaks. I'll also try referring them to localhost in the hosts file.

Unless y'all tell me that's a bad idea. Maybe that way, if I do have malware installed, it won't be able to call home?

Another odd thing: According to 'whois', 66.152.109.23 is Tech Valley Communications; but ask dot com shows that ip # 66.152.109 is cnet.robtex.com. 69.16.143.23 shows to Highland in both; 184.106.31.177 is Racxkspace Hosting in whois, but doesn't show at all in ask dot com. Dunno if that has any significance.

I bound them to localhost in the hosts file in both machines, and re-booted. Can't see any difference so far, but they are still showing up in 'dig' on both machines.

I can't block them yet in the router because my hacker friend wants me to wait until he figures out why my internet look-up is sooo slow. It downloads at respectable speeds from one site; but when it goes to a sub-site or another site, it takes it a long time to connect. Different problem, but he wants me to leave the router alone right now.

If there are any more ideas about how to find out who/what those strange IP #s are, and whether they are significant or insignificant, I would appreciate hearing. Thanks for the help so far.

Hmmnnnn..... That question raised some more problems. The router looks to the modem's IP number (separate router and modem here). So I accessed the modem, which faces out on to the world. However, the primary and secondary DNSs are blank. My friend says that could be if the modem is getting its info direct from the ISP, but that I can manually enter the numbers to check. In this modem, the button is 'Expert Mode'.

However, clicking expert mode gives nothing; can't enter expert mode. Friend says that's weird and he will be over in the morning with a loaner modem which he knows is OK, and see what happens.

He acted surprised, Thanks for that question!! Maybe they ARE related problems!